Blog Post #1

I really enjoyed Jean Kilbourne's presentation. Her a witty sense of humor reminded me of many of the authors we have read so far in our text. Like the other authors, Ms. Kilbourne’s way with words complimented the messages she conveyed. Her funny approach was engaging to the audience and made me think about the serious effects of the media on our society. I think that the presentation tied in nicely with our reading in Section II, “Writing Bodies/Bodies Writing”. Both the presentation and this section addresses the stereotypical aspects of what it means to be female. This quote on page 376 relates directly to the ideas  Ms. Kilbourne addresses, “Moreover, in this conception of body and mind as inimical, women have been identified with the bodily sphere and thus devalued, while men have been posited as rational; and superior beings.”  Ms. Kilbourne's talk raised the same issues in saying that the media dictates what goes on in our society and how it has shaped what the ideal woman should be. 

 After the presentation, I thought about her points regarding women’s ongoing pressure to fit the perfect feminine stereotype but then it occurred to me that the information was not new to me, simply because I am female and am exposed to this pressure on a daily basis. We are all living with the never ending media messages. I began to think that the best audience for this presentation would be males. I wondered what affect her message had on them. Could they comprehend what she was saying, fully?  Did they think any differently about judging a female afterword? I think her presentation was well thought out and did have the potential to sway the opinions of the male audience, if they had an open mind to it. Ms. Kilbourne is an effective communicator and I have so much respect for women who can relate relevant information so well. What did you ladies think?

P.S.  For those of you who were not able to attend the presentation. Here is her website: www.jeankilbourne.com/ . Check it out!